Midsommers Night Absinthe

Absinthe

Midsommers Night Absinthe

Few spirits enjoy such a romantic, storied, and mysterious history. Originally concocted as a medicinal elixir, it gained popularity among French troops in the 1840’s when it was prescribed as a Malaria preventative. Upon returning from duty they brought their newly acquired tastes with them and before long it seemed, everyone in France was drinking Absinthe. It wasn’t long before a few busybody temperance groups along with members of other alcohol production industries (who had their sales drop with this new trend) waged war on Absinthe. Absinthe was shortly thereafter banned for nearly a century.

Modern Absinthe

Contrary to popular belief, modern Absinthe is made much the same way it was in the 1800‘s. It’s primary ingredients besides alcohol being Anise, Wormwood and Fennel. Traditional Absinthe would have been made with grape brandy as a base, although many modern brands use less expensive grain or beet neutral spirits.

Our Absinthe

Taking a cue from traditional Absinthe, while also making the most of our local resources, we pot distill an apple brandy to use as the base for our Absinthe. Distilled to a lower proof than a neutral spirit, we believe this creates a rich, fruit forward flavor to balance and support the botanicals included in our recipe. Speaking of botanicals, we use a complex blend of herbs beyond the standard Anise, Wormwood and Fennel recipe. Cardamom, Coriander, Lemon Verbena, Spearmint and Clove are just a few of the herbs we’ve added, to flesh out the flavor. In our opinion, we have created an Absinthe that, has a more balanced and nuanced flavor than the big licorice bombs that most commercial Absinthe’s have become.

Try it the traditional way with 3-5 parts ice water to 1 part absinthe or in any variety of cocktails.